Grooves, I wouldn't do, but thicker is part of the deal I want. I also need tackier because my hands keep slipping on the rim, especially in cold weather. I've been using covers for 13 years to avoid that. The stock wheel looked great in photos, and works fine in a straight line... it's for the twisties and parking maneuvers that I find it to fall short (like most factory ones).

Yeah the 11 SRT rims are thicker, the rest is the same. You could have it custom upholstered to be thicker, heck even maybe have some thumb groves put it. But I suspect that won't be cheap either! Nothing cool ever is!!

I have an 11 SRT and I personally think the wheel is too thick. I dont have small hands but my hand will cramp if I drive too long.

Goes to show you how personal that is. No way they can please everybody so they hit somewhere in the middle and let the picky ones satisfy their quirky preferences in the aftermarket.

I tend to place my hands at 9:15 with the thumbs resting lightly on the spokes or along the rim, while doing my best not to make fists. The hold is more of a pinch that way, and is more conducive to quick corrections (and finger-saving in case of a wreck). So the less grip you use, the best you want to make of the contact patch you have. That's why I prefer more area and more tackiness. I shoot handguns the same way and use checkered wood or rubber for that, but this wouldn't work on a steering wheel...

It doesn't matter much on the freeway, but in maneuvers, especially backing up and steering one-handedly, I definitely want more connection with the rim.

Yeah, I've seen those that just clamp on, and some might give me the exact tactile feel I'm looking for, but I'd prefer a more finished product. Not a fan of the wide open seam they have. Here's what I did on my Charger and I was hoping that the Challenger would be better than its sister (it is, but not enough):

I'm never happy with stock steering wheels: I want more thickness and more grip. Enough tackiness to be able to steer one-handed with the palm of my hand and enough slickness still to be able to let the rim slide under my fingers when exiting corners, know what I mean?
I installed wheelskins on my Charger before, and while the quality was great, even the perforated leather was too slick for me. Ideally, I'd want the feel from those old vynil covers with the cord wrapped around them like every cab has. It's way too ugly and cheap-looking for a Challenger, but they worked perfectly for my use in the Crown Vic and Caprice.

So before I do the Wheelskins thing again... any better suggestions? My current wheel is the base R/T's, not leather, by the way. Hard and slippery, especially with dry hands like mine.

I really don't have a problem with the factory wheel. Base R/T 27F with 20's and 6 speed here. Going around corners palming and returning to center has never been a problem. This could be something as simple as adjusting your seating position for better pressure and or leverage on the wheel, depending of course on arm strength and leg length.

That's a good point about the driving position. I'm still searching for the perfect one and am a little far from the wheel right now, but it's a work in progress. The thing is I just have very dry skin and I know that's always gonna be a problem with the stock material. With warm and slightly sweaty hands it gets better, but that's not good enough for me. I'm telling you, even the perforated Wheelskins were a little too slick and I need something a tad more grabby, as much as I liked the look.

I've looked at a few foam, mesh and rubber ones in the style brought up by torred 3.5, but I don't think they're gonna do. Although it would work (aesthetically) better in an older car, I'm leaning toward those cheesy O'Reilly ones I mentioned earlier now. Very '70s, but most importantly, once you degrease them with alcohol the feel is perfect for me.

Going out for a quick photoshoot now so I'm gonna try with gloves on for kicks, but that's not the right fix for everyday use.

It does help some (the non-greasy kind, anyway). Unfortunately, like wearing gloves, it's not the kinda thing that you can always do on the fly. I wore leather this afternoon for a drive in the canyons over Malibu (not braggin'), and it worked like a charm, by the way. Not an everyday solution, though. Keep it comin', guys!

... 'Leather' is a word used very loosely these days, like all those seats that are actually vynil with some leather pieces. Regardless of what it actually is, I find it hard and grainless... and therefore unsatisfactory....

Speaking of such and off topic a bit ... How much Leather is in our Seats?

hummmmm?

R/T (used to be Cuda Cliff) Bee

1954 Plymouth Savoy
1959 Chevy Apache

"She may not be the youngest gal at the ball ... but she can still turn a head or two"

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